Puzzle Pieces
by Myshipshipsitself
Summary: AU after season 5. Dean finally realizes Castiel's feelings for him, and struggles to discover his own feelings.  Sorry. I suck at summaries. R&R Please? Cas/Dean
1. Chapter 1

Title: Puzzle Pieces  
>Chapter: 1<br>Pairings/characters: Dean/Castiel, Dean, (possibly others?)  
>Rating: PG-13<br>Warnings: None  
>Genre: RomanceAU  
>Summary: AU after season 5. Dean finally realizes Castiel's feelings for him, and struggles to discover his own feelings. (Sorry. I suck at summaries.)<p>

Dean was surprised, though not ungrateful, when Castiel returned after Sam and Adam were trapped in the cage. No, Lucifer and Michael were trapped in the cage. Phrasing it that way made him feel a bit better, though not much. Lucifer deserved it; and hell, Michael was a dick anyway, so he deserved it too.

But Castiel was back, and he revived Bobby. So that was something, right? He'd only lost his two brothers in the fight. He still had Bobby and Cas. Except that Cas had to return to Heaven. "Only for a little while," the angel had insisted.

Bobby, on the other hand, gave Dean a "Good job, son," and returned home, with the promise to keep in touch.

In short, Dean lost everything in that battle. He was left with a couple phone calls with Bobby, an angel that may or may not show up in the next decade, and a promise to Sam that he didn't really want to keep. But he would. Eventually. It had only been twenty-four hours. Sam wouldn't fault him for grieving. He didn't need to show up on Lisa's doorstep a wreck anyway.

The next day, Sam and Adam returned. Nearly gave Dean a heart attack, and Adam too for that matter. Sam had been expecting the salt thrown at him, holy water in the face and cut his arm with a silver knife routine, but Adam hadn't. After Dean swore that he would've made good on his promise within the next few days, Sam stuck around with him, Lisa never the wiser. Adam decided to return home, saying something about how he "knew dealing with family was hell, but damn, guys!"

A week later, Castiel popped into the cheap hotel room the brothers were staying in, bearing news from the other side of Heaven. He said that Gabriel's life had been restored as well, and they had come to the agreement that he would keep an eye on things there, while Cas handled things on earth. After an awkward pause, Cas requested if he could "join the latest ventures."

It was nearly three months later, and the hunts weren't coming any slower. In fact, Sam and Dean had split up several times to cover more cases. Dean had thought demon activity would be far down since the big battle, but it was like the demons were finally let off their leash. Demons were showing up in places they'd never been native to, and crossroad demons were getting more business than ever.

After chopping off several vampire heads, Dean ended up in a dingy bar down the street from his hotel. Cas was resting back in the hotel room, having taken more of a beating. Dean glared at the beer bottle in his hands, trying to figure out the night. He had been way off his game that night, which was mostly the reason Cas had taken such a beating. Dena just couldn't keep his focus. Whether he was worried about Sam, taking care of some angry spirits a few cities away, or just the constant question filling all their minds: When would the high demon activity stop?

Dean drained the last of the beer and slammed the bottle down, signaling to the bartender for another. Stupid angel. Always having to fight his own battles and jumping in to save Dean's ass too. Dean could've handled it… Possibly not very well, but he could've handled it. Now Cas was back in the room, resting from the mere effort it took to heal all of his own wounds, and Dean's as well, because Cas was just stubborn like that and wouldn't listen to Dean when he said that his broken arm could heal like a normal human's.

"Hey, Buddy! Get the hell away from her!" An angry cry made Dean look around. Two men and a woman were standing not far from him. The dark haired man was holding the girl by the arm, and she looked like she was near tears. The other man had his hands clenched at his sides, eyes narrowed under the dark blonde hair.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" the dark haired man yelled at the blonde.

Dean didn't hear the man's response over the woman's scream. The dark haired man released the woman's arm when the other man lunged at him. He threw up his now free arm to block the punch, driving his knee into the blonde's stomach.

"Stop it! Just stop!" The woman cried hysterically as the men continued throwing punches at each other. The woman tried to get closer to them, to break up the fight, apparently, but Dean jumped up and grabbed her arm. She screamed, trying to pull away from him.

"It's alright," Dean said in what he hoped was a comforting tone. "Not trying to hurt you. But those two will if you get too close."

The woman nodded, letting Dean lead her blindly to the barstool beside his, never taking her eyes from the fight. She gasped, covered her mouth, and screamed several more times before enough people jumped in to break up the fight that it finally stopped.

"Taylor, are you alright?" the woman asked in a shaky voice when the blonde approached them.

Taylor smiled despite the bloody lip and bruised jaw. "Fine. Did he hurt you?"

The woman shook her head, then looked around at Dean as though she'd just remembered he was there. "Um, this man pulled me away after you attacked him," she said. "I'm sorry, what was your name?"

"Dean," he said, and then offered Taylor a weak smile. "Nice right hook, by the way."

Taylor laughed. "Thanks," he muttered. He glanced back at the woman. "I'll go call a cab for us, alright? I'll be right back. Will you be okay here with, uh, Dean?"

The woman glanced sideways at Dean, and he gave Taylor an encouraging smile. "Yeah man. I'll watch out for her." Taylor nodded stiffly, and turned to walk outside.

"Thank you. My name is Melissa, by the way," the woman said with a smile that looked more than a little friendly. She was pretty; gorgeous, actually. But he wasn't gonna go there. Not tonight, and not with her.

"Nice to meet you," Dean said.

"You hanging around here much longer?" Melissa asked.

Dean shook his head. "Nah. As soon as your boyfriend comes back in for you, I'm probably gonna head out," he said, testing the waters. He knew she would probably he wasn't her boyfriend, but he wanted to know exactly what he was.

"He's not my boyfriend," she said, putting a hand on Dean's shoulder. Dean shrugged casually away from the touch. "Really. He's just a good friend."

Dean nodded. But he knew the look on that 'friend's face far too well. "I expected him to be family, if not your significant other," Dean said casually.

"Why?" Melissa asked, looking confused.

"In my experience, people will only protect you like that if they're your family, or they really love you," Dean said, shrugging. "It's always been family that did that for me. My brother's gone through hell for me, and I've done the same for him." Melissa stared at Dean for a long moment.

"Melissa," Taylor said, coming back inside and putting a hand on her shoulder. "You ready to go?"

Melissa tore her eyes away from Dean to look at Taylor, as though she was just seeing him for the first time. "Um, yeah," she said quickly. She stood, and turned back to Dean for a moment. "Thanks, Dean."

Dean nodded to her with a smile, laughing under his breath after they'd walked out. He pulled out his wallet, threw a few bills on the counter and walked out after them.

When he arrived back at the hotel, Cas was sitting on the bed closest to the window with the hotel phone pressed to his ear and the little hotel Bible sitting on the bed beside him. "Things went well. There were not very many at the nest… Yes… Will you set out in the morning? …Yes. We will not be leaving early… Goodbye, Sam."

"How'd the ghost hunt go?" Dean asked, walking to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

"Sam sustained no injuries," Cas said. "He will be leaving at dawn to meet us here. Are you feeling better?"

Dean spat out the water and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Yeah. Not even a scratch from earlier," he said. He bent his once-broken arm back and forth experimentally. "Good as new. Thanks, Cas."

"Of course," Cas said, not looking up from the hotel Bible he was flipping through.

Dean changed into a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt and lay down on the other bed, turning to face away from Cas. The stupid reading lamp was too bright. "Good night, Dean." And just like that, his own words from the bar returned unbidden to his mind as he drifted to sleep.

_People will only protect you like that if they're your family, or they really love you._


	2. Chapter 2

"So what's it look like?" Dean asked as he came back into the hotel room, kicking the door closed behind him. He set the bag from the diner on the table beside Sam's laptop, pulling out a bacon cheeseburger for himself, and pushing the bag closer to Sam, only a small garden salad left in it.

Sam didn't look up from the computer as he dug the salad out of the bag. "Three different attacks. All in the same park, all done with knives, all on little kids," Sam said, picking up the pad he'd apparently been making notes on. "One kid survived, and said that his mother attacked him. Said the park ranger or someone chased her off, and they couldn't find her. The other kids were both killed, but one had a sister that saw the whole thing."

"Did you talk to the sister?" Dean asked around a large bite of food.

"Cas went to talk to her," Sam said.

Dean raised an eyebrow at him. "You sure that's a good idea? The guy doesn't really know the meaning of 'subtle.'"

Sam shrugged, spearing a few pieces of lettuce and a carrot onto his fork. "He said he wanted to try the interrogation part of the case. He hasn't tried it much, and besides. If he goes off and starts talking about angels and demons, what's the worst that can happen? He's talking to a little kid. She'll believe him before anyone else would."

Dean leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. "I think we can safely rule out an angry spirit if one of the kids said it was his mother. Demon possession maybe? What kind of demons prey on kids?"

"Whatever it is, I don't think it's the same demon at all the attacks," Sam said, shaking his head. "The park ranger that chased the boy's mother off said that the first attack had been a man. He said he saw the man drop the kid's body, but he ran off before he could catch up to him."

"This girl bears the same story as the boy," Cas's voice coming from behind him made Dean jump, falling sideways on the bed.

"Damnit Cas! Warn a guy next time!" Dean yelled. He shifted uncomfortably at the stare Cas set him with.

"My apologies," Cas said, only sounding slightly annoyed. He then turned back to Sam and walked over to the desk, picking up the notepad.

"What do you mean the same story as the boy?" Sam asked.

"The girl and her brother were in the park with their father," Cas said. "She said that she went to get an ice cream, and upon her return, heard her brother's scream, and saw her father cutting his throat. The father started towards her, but she said he stopped when a woman screamed, and he ran off. The woman took the girl to the police station. She is with her aunt now."

"So, demons possessing parents to kill their kids," Sam said, looking back at his laptop.

"School just got out, and kids are running around like they're insane," Dean pointed out, then shrugged. "Maybe we should stop blaming the demons." Sam glared at Dean, and he held up his hands. "Just sayin'."

"Perhaps we should check the park," Cas said. "We can speak with the park ranger as well."

"Yeah, I'll go," Dean said, standing up. "I could use a reason to get outta this hotel room."

"I'll assist you," Cas said.

"No that's alright," Dean said a little too quickly, earning curious stares from his brother and the angel. The words he'd spoken to Melissa last night, as much as he knew they didn't apply to him at all, still haunted him for some reason, and being around Cas seemed to make him feel even more uneasy. "Just, why don't you stay here and help Sam with the research?"

"I've got it, really," Sam said, eyes narrowed at Dean. Dean carefully avoided his brother's eyes, as though Sam would be able to read his mind if he was able to look him straight in the eye. "There's not much for him to do here, and he can search the woods where the demons ran off to while you're talking to the park ranger."

"Yeah, alright," Dean conceded, unable to come up with another reason for Cas not to come.

"Then let's go," Cas said, taking a step towards Dean and holding his hand out towards him.

"Hey, not this time," Dean said, ducking away from Cas. This reaction was definitely not because of his uneasy feeling. He just hated Cas's stupid need to teleport everywhere. "Let's drive like normal people, okay?"

Cas sighed. "Your methods are slow and unnecessary," he said, but started for the parking lot anyway.

Dean caught Sam's eye, and his brother gave him a questioningly look. Dean just shrugged and followed Cas outside to the car.

"Did you recognize any of the attackers?" Dean asked.

The park ranger, Sean, apparently, shook his head. "I only saw the first two. I wasn't working last week when the third attack happened. But the first man had dark brown hair. I'd seen him here a couple times with the two kids, but I don't know his name. I didn't recognize the woman. She had long red hair, and her son—Well, I guess you spoke with him. I hadn't seen them here before."

"Did you find either of the attackers after they ran off?"

"No," Sean said, shaking his head. He pointed across the lake, where one of the walking trails disappeared into the forest. "They ran off that way, though, if it helps."

"It does, thank you," Dean said. "I'll let you know if I have any more questions."

"Anything I can do to help," Sean said.

Dean walked down the path and around to the other side of the lake. He hated how his steps instinctively slowed as he came closer to Cas, as though putting off the moment. He didn't know why—No, he did know why. But the reason why didn't make any sense. _People will only protect you like that if they're your family, or they really love you. _It was stupid for those words to bother him. They were true. Hell, he knew Cas loved him. Like a broth—Well, maybe not like a brother. Like a friend, though, at least. Dean knew he would protect Cas just as fiercely, if the time ever came that Cas needed his protection. There was a difference between family love and friend love; he knew that. But both were platonic, and that was the point.

Dean remembered the way Melissa's friend had looked at the guy that had grabbed her. It was the same death glare that Cas had shot at those vamps that were getting the best of Dean that night. But that made sense. The level of hatred for people that were hurting the person you loved, whether platonic love or romantic love, were the same.

As Dean approached the edge of the woods, he pushed the thoughts from his mind. It was making his head hurt. Cas was already searching through the trees just off the beaten path. "Find anything?"

"I believe so," Cas said. "I am not sure what, though."

Dean walked over to where Cas had pushed aside the overgrown bushes to reveal—"Damnit, not again," Dean groaned.

"You are familiar with the creature?" Cas asked, letting the bushes fall back over the pungent mess.

"More than you'd believe," Dean muttered, phone pressed to his ear. "Hey Sammy. Don't bother with any more research. It's a shape shifter."

"So, tomorrow we'll stake out the park?" Sam asked. "How are we gonna find the shifter, though?"

"The building the park ranger went into," Dean said. "I'll bet there's security cameras in there."

"Okay, so I can get him to let me hang out in there, and I'll radio you two when I see the shifter," Sam said.

"No, I think Cas should stake out the cameras," Dean said. He added as casually as he could, "No offense Cas, but you don't really know what we're up against. Sammy and I have faced these things before. We know what to expect from them."

"I think Dean is right," Cas said. Dean barely held back a sigh of relief. "You two stay in the park, and I will alert you when I see it."

"Sean, you remember me and my partner from yesterday?" Dean shook the man's hand.

"Yes, of course," Sean said, nodding politely to Cas.

"I'd like to take a look around, and I was wondering if my partner could sit with you for a while," he said, nodding to the wooden building just behind Sean. "We'd like to keep an eye on the security cameras."

"You don't think there will be another attack?" Sean asked, horrified.

"We're not sure," Dean said. "We just want to be safe. Which is why I'd like him to stay with you while I do one last sweep of the park."

"Of course, of course," Sean said gesturing to the building. "Please, whatever you need. We don't have the entire park under surveillance. Only the most populated areas, and a couple parts of the bike trail."

"That's alright, it's enough," Dean assured him. He nodded to Cas as the angel followed the park ranger into the small building, then turned and started to walk down the bike path that led around the lake. Sam caught up with him after a minute.

"So, any clue who we're looking for?" Sam asked.

Dean shrugged. "Someone with a kid. This shifter apparently has a thing for killing children." The two were silent as they circled the lake, both scanning the group for people for possible suspects. Dean made a mental note to keep an eye on a young woman that looked like she was babysitting a couple of children, no older than seven or eight.

Sam apparently had the same thought. "All the attacks have been from single parents," he whispered to Dean. "Easier if they don't have to fight the other parent, I guess."

They stayed a few paces behind the group, Dean's hand closing around the silver knife in his back pocket. The woman pointed to something down a path that led into the woods at the same moment that Dean answered Cas's phone call. "I found it!" Cas said.

"So did I," Dean said, drawing the knife and rushing towards the woman.

"No, Dean stop!" Dean barely heard Cas's words over the woman's scream, but he stopped about a foot from the woman. The boy ran further down the path, and the little girl started crying, the small brown rabbit she had been observing running off into the trees. "It's not her! Dean, it's the man back by the playground!"

Dean snapped the phone shut. "I'm really sorry; there was a mix-up, and I thought—"

"Just get away from us, freak!" The woman screamed at him, scooping the girl into her arms and jogging down the path, calling the boy's name as she went.

"Shit," Dean muttered under his breath. "Come on, Sammy."

Dean ran back down the bike trail towards the playground, Sam's footsteps behind him. He sped up as he saw the man dragging a little girl towards the forest. A woman frantically pulled on his other arm, screaming for him let the girl go, but the man threw her aside easily. Where the hell was Cas? Why didn't he go out as soon as he saw who it was?

Sam reached the man before Dean did, and managed to free to girl, who ran back to her mother crying. The shifter lunged at Sam, grabbing his arm and forcing the silver knife from his hand. The shifter knocked him to the ground, a hand covering Sam's throat.

Dean tackled the shifter around the middle, knocking him off of Sam. He struck at the creature with the knife, but it caught his arm, pushing him back. The shifter threw Dean off easily, and he hit a tree, falling to the ground with a loud _thud._

Sam got the advantage over the shifter again, but his knife was some four or five feet away.

"Sammy!" Dean called, tossing his knife towards his brother. It was that moment where he realized why he didn't fight as well by himself, and even worse when fighting with someone else by his side, even Cas or Bobby.

It was the way Sam threw an arm behind him without looking, catching the knife and driving it into the shifter's heart in one fluid motion. It was the easy predictability, and the way they knew each other's fighting style to a fault. Dean remembered fighting with their father in the same way.

Sam got up, breathing heavily. He walked over, offering a hand to help Dean to his feet. Dean groaned as he stood up. He had hit the tree right in the middle of his back, and it hurt like hell. "What happened to Cas?" Dean asked suddenly. The brothers exchanged a panicked look, and took off towards the small cabin like building.

"Cas?" Sam asked, beating his fist against the door. The door opened a moment later, a battered Cas standing in the doorway.

"The hell happened in here?" Dean asked, craning his neck to look around Cas. The park ranger was lying on the floor, a silver knife sticking out of his chest.

"They were in it together," Cas said. "Perfect setup, I suppose."

"Well, I say we get outta here before the police show up," Sam suggested. Neither Cas nor Dean argued as they got in the Impala and headed back towards the hotel.

Dean glanced at Cas in the rearview mirror. "Good job with that shifter, by the way. Took both me and Sammy to take down the other one." Cas only nodded his acknowledgement of the statement, looking rather worn out. Cas was a good fighter; that was for sure. But Dean wouldn't fight with his as a partner if he could fight with Sam instead. It was nothing Cas or Bobby, or any other hunters did wrong that made it difficult to fight with them. It was just a family thing.

A/N: Reviews are very much appreciated! I love them, and they make me want to write more for you lovelies! :D


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm not sure why my scene breaks aren't showing up on here. I'll try a few different breaks in this chapter, and whatever works is what I'll use for future chapters.

Now, I'm not above begging for reviews, but I'd hate to do so. Apparently a lot of you like this story, since there's 9 story alerts; more than any of my other stories. So please, leave a review for me? Even if it's just a single word or short comment, a love/hate/like/you're an idiot, I'd much appreciate it. Now, onto the next chapter. Please note, I don't know how this chapter's gonna go. I'm having writer's block, and just wanted to try and write anything, so my apologies if it makes no sense at all.

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Over the next week, Dean didn't think about the words he'd spoken to Melissa. He didn't ponder Cas's intentions. He didn't consider any reasons for Cas's overprotection of him. He didn't catch Cas staring at him during jobs, or during the rare quiet moments in the hotel room.

And driving down the interstate towards their next job, Dean certainly didn't notice that Cas was staring at him in the rearview mirror from the backseat of the Impala. He simply just ignored the rearview mirror altogether.

Dean always hated the word denial. It sounded so pathetic, to be in denial. He preferred kicking and screaming away from the truth. This, however, seemed a tad overdramatic, so, though he'd never admit it even to himself, Dean settled comfortably into denial.

Denial became difficult, though, when Sam approached him in the diner on the bottom floor of the hotel. "What's up with you and Cas?"

"Whatdya mean?" Dean grunted, scanning the menu unnecessarily to avoid looking at his brother.

"I don't know," Sam said, shrugging. "You two just seem…weird around each other. At least, you seem weirder around him. Cas is just always Cas."

Snuggled into his comfortable denial, Dean definitely did not notice the implication of Cas just always acting that way. "How am I acting weird around him?"

"You just seem tense when he's around," Sam said.

"Well I'm not," Dean snapped at him.

"Alright, jeez," Sam said, holding his hands up in surrender. "You two sort out your lover's spat on your own then."

"The hell is that suppose to mean?" Dean slammed the menu down.

"Dean, calm down," Sam hissed at him, looking around at all the people staring at them. "It was a joke. Breathe for a second, will ya?"

Dean just shot his brother a death glare and stood up. Sam's hand shot out to grab his arm as he walked away. "Where are you going?"

"To get started on the case," Dean said in a forced casual tone. "Meet me back in the room when you're done eating." He jerked his arm from Sam's grasp and rushed out of the restaurant.

It didn't occur to Dean until he was in the elevator that going back to the room, alone with Cas, might not be the best idea. No, there was no reason it was a bad idea, actually. Cause there was nothing wrong. Sam was imagining things, Dean had forgotten all about what he'd said to Melissa, and Cas was… Just Cas. Nothing weird going on at all.

Dean had convinced himself of this by the time he stood outside the hotel room door. Then he opened the door, and Cas was sitting at the desk, reading one of the many newspaper articles they had collected about some disappearances in the area. Every almost logical denial Dean had convinced himself of flew out the window when Cas looked up at him.

Dean had been careful not to look Cas in the eye recently. He knew the truth he would find there, now that he was no longer blind to it. And now he saw every bit of that truth in the blue depths of Cas's eyes. Those eyes that lit up just a bit whenever Dean was around. That smile, so rare, but almost always present around the hunter.

"Cas," Dean started to say, but his throat closed up.

Cas didn't seem to notice. "Dean, I may have found a connection between the vict—"

"Cas, stop," Dean cut him off. Cas stared at him a moment, then set the article down and stood up. Cas approached him, aware of the personal space Dean had been reprimanding him for invading so often, and waited for Dean to continue.

"What troubles you, Dean?" Cas asked.

Dean wanted to break eye contact, but just stared into the recesses of those blue eyes, willing Cas to read his mind so e wouldn't have to ask the question aloud. But Cas wouldn't. Even now that he could again, his powers restored after he was resurrected, he wouldn't invade Dean's mind without permission. Dean cursed himself for making Cas agree to the terms.

"Cas," Dean started. "Why did you protect me against those vampires a while back?"

"Would you rather I had left them to kill you or turn you?" Cas asked. He gave Dean a strange look.

"No," Dean said reluctantly, thinking of how to phrase his questions better.

"Then I do not understand," Cas said. "If we hunt together, we protect each other, do we not? That is the way you and Sam hunt."

"Damnit, Cas," Dean groaned. "That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you me—"

"I mean that I don't know why you do half the stuff you do for me," Dean yelled. "You pull me out of hell, save my life more times that I can count. You gave up every damn thing you had in Heaven a year ago for me and I don't know why!"

Cas was silent for a long moment. "Yes, you do," Cas said.

"No, I don't," Dean said. "And I want to know why. And tell me the goddamn truth."

"You don't want to know the truth," Cas said, taking a step closer. Dean tensed, but didn't move away. "Because if you wanted the truth, you would open your eyes, and see it."

Before Dena could respond, Cas moved in closer, and a hand curled around his neck and—Dean's eyes closed automatically, though he gave no more response than that to the kiss. It was a quick kiss, there, and then just gone. Dean didn't feel the hand slide away; didn't feel lips pulling away from his. It was all just, gone.

Dean knew what he'd see when he opened his eyes, and he wasn't unhappy about it. His mind was spinning, and he had questions. Questions that he didn't really want to the answers to just yet. Dean finally opened his eyes when he heard the door open. It was just Sam. Dean looked around the room. Only Sam.

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A/N: Well that went in an entirely different direction than I expected… Anyway, must I beg again for reviews? You know how much I would love them, don't you? Reviews make me want to write more, which is why this chapter took so long. Reviews give me encouragement, and with no encouragement, I take a while to make myself write. So please review! :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: See? Told you if I get reviews it makes me wanna update faster! I'm psyched about getting my first reviews on this story, (Thanks to all of you!) So now Imma write the next chapter! Or attempt to. We'll see how it goes. Aaaaaaaaand, I figured out which lines breaks actually work. :] So here it goes!

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"What are you doing back here?"

"A fine way to greet your brother, Gabriel," Castiel responded, taking a seat beside his elder sibling. He cast his gaze around the room. Gabriel was certainly enjoying his new power. Or rather, _their_ new power. Now there were two large chairs, (thrones, Gabriel would say, but Castiel felt a bit pretentious calling them such,) in the large room, otherwise empty except for some pieces of art on the walls, and the long violet runner that led from the chairs to the other end of the room.

Raphael hadn't been much threat against both the brothers, especially since Balthazar had been on their side as well. Most of the angels had sided with them, and the others had died before their leader. It hadn't been a long battle by human standards; about a week. By their time, however, it had lasted several months.

"Still didn't answer my question," Gabriel said. "Thought you'd be roaming the earth with your hunter."

"He is not my hunter," Castiel said.

Gabriel gave him a long look. "Are you avoiding my question, Castiel? Something little brother doesn't want me to know."

Castiel turned towards Gabriel and sighed. "I tired of hunting, Gabriel. May we leave it at that?"

Gabriel's amused grin widened further. "Of course not! What happened?"

"I kissed him," Castiel said quietly, turning away from Gabriel.

"Brother, I expected better stories than that after you were there for months," Gabriel said. "You always were the cautious one. So, what happened after that? He say anything?" Castiel didn't respond. Didn't move. Didn't even appear to have heard the question. Even so, he could practically feel his brother's eyes widen as the gaze on the back of his head felt more intense. "You didn't! Castiel!"

"I think it's fair to say I did," Castiel said, turning back to Gabriel. "I kissed him, end of story."

"And then you just left." It wasn't a question, but Castiel nodded anyway. "Why on earth would you do that?"

"Have there been any disturbances here since I left?" Castiel asked, hoping Gabriel would simply allow him to change the subject.

"I've taken care of them," Gabriel said. "But that's not the point, Castiel. What are you going to say to Dean when you go back? Oh yeah, sorry about kissing you then pulling the vanishing act. Had to take the cat to vet."

"I don't have a cat, Gabriel," Castiel said, looking at his brother strangely.

"Well, then looks like you're out of excuses," Gabriel said. "So you better just go back down there and come up with something to tell him."

"I thought I might stay here for a little while," Castiel said.

"Oh no you don't—"

"Castiel," a voice echoed in the hall, and Castiel sighed. He knew the voice too well. He almost hated Heaven for this reason; he could hear all the prayers of earth again. Few though, he heard himself. Other angels took care of most prayers and problems. Some, though, whether because of the nature of the prayer, or the person praying, had direct access to Castiel and Gabriel. The Winchesters fell into the latter category, every time.

"Castiel, I hope you can hear me. I don't know what Dean said to make you leave, or what happened. But we need your help. You know that stubborn ass won't pray to you himself, so I hope you'll hear my prayer and come help us."

"Well, there you have it, little brother," Gabriel said, raising his eyebrows at Castiel. "Go down and help your hunter and the Sasquatch. I'll be here."

"Would you go to them, Gabriel?" Castiel asked, looking to his brother hopefully. "Heaven is a bit boring for you, isn't it? I know you enjoyed earth so much more. So why don't you go and help them. I'll take care of things here for the time being."

"Unfair, Castiel," Gabriel said. "Earth is much more fun, I'll say that. You were better fit to run things up here anyway. So why was it that you insisted on going to earth while I stayed here? Ah, yes. The same reason you refuse to go there now. I'll give Dean your regards."

Gabriel was gone before Castiel could respond. What he would have said, he wasn't entirely sure. But in any case, the hunters had the angelic help they asked for, and Castiel would not have to face Dean again as of yet.

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A/N: M'kay, so I kinda just wanted a Castiel/Gabriel scene, and this is what happened. Hope it's okay? Leave me a review. Also, I'm thinking about throwing in some Gabriel/Sam? Let me know in the review if you 'd like that or not. :)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry this took forever to update. Got busy with life and all, and it kinda sucks. I don't really know what this chapter's gonna be about, so I thought I'd make it a little more interesting at least, by writing it from Sam's POV. He's the only one that's pretty oblivious, and I'm looking forward to seeing if he can put the pieces together. Let's see, shall we? :)

#####

"Gabriel?" Sam looked at the angel strangely. "What are you doing here?"

"Hate to see you again too, kiddo," Gabriel said in a far too cheerful tone. "Should've left you in hell, I swear."

"I didn't mean—Wait, you pulled me out?" Sam asked.

"Don't go getting all soft on me. It wasn't my idea," Gabriel said. "Cas just needed an extra pair of hands to grab you while he grabbed the runt of the litter."

Sam sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "Look, I really kind of wanted to talk with Cas."

"Too bad you're stuck with me," Gabriel said. "Besides I thought you needed actual help. You know, the life or death kind."

"Forget it," Sam said, turning and starting back towards the hotel room. "It's an easy case. Go back to heaven." He tensed when he felt an arm thrown lazily around his shoulders.

"Nah, think I'll hang around here for a while," Gabriel. "Heaven get boring after a while. Everything's all orderly and perfect." He shuddered as though perfection was the most horrible thing imaginable. Which, Sam conceded, was entirely possible.

Sam threw his shoulder back, forcing Gabriel to drop his arm. "Well it's not too much more interesting here," he said as he opened the door. "Just a haunting. Hey Dean, look who showed up."

Dean's head jerked up suddenly form the computer, and Sam watched his brother visibly relax at the sight of Gabriel. Dean quickly masked it with an air of annoyance though. "The hell are you doing here, Gabriel?"

"Honestly, you two are the worst welcome-back-to-life committee I've ever met, and believe me, there were plenty of lousy ones up top when I came back."

"Still doesn't explain why you're here," Dean said.

"Cas needed some me time," Gabriel said. Sam could see a smirk forming on the angel's face as he looked towards Dean. "What would be the human equivalent? I suppose one of those chocolates and chick-flick movie nights?"

Dean shifted looking uncomfortable, but then just rolled his eyes and went back to the computer. Sam looked from his brother to the angel and back again. Something was really off.

"I still can't find where the girl is buried," Dean said. "But I think I've found someone that might.

"Who is it?" Sam asked, walking around the other side of the desk, leaning an arm against the back of Dean's chair to read the obituary.

"Is this really what you two called me down here for?" Gabriel asked, sighing. Sam felt the angel lean against his shoulder to see what they were reading, but didn't bother pushing him away this time.

"I don't know why Sam called you."

"I told you that you could go back."

"Oh no, even chasing around dead girls and their sisters is more fun than sitting up top being worshipped…Okay, no its not. But a change of pace is nice."

#####

Sam was sure something was up, and he was the only one that didn't know what it was. His next clue came as they were walking down the sidewalk toward the home of Lana's older sister. They could hear a kid crying from about a hundred feet in front of them, sitting in the grass with her mother.

"Mommy, the kids keep making fun of me!" The little girl screamed. "I don't want my freckles anymore!"

"They're nothing to be ashamed of, sweetie," the mother coaxed. "It means you have guardian angels."

The little girl sniffed. "Really?"

"Yeah. You know what freckles really are, don't you?" The mother asked. The little girl shook her head. "They're angel kisses," she said in a mock whisper, though Sam could still hear the words. The girl giggled as the mother kissed her cheek. "There," she said, and then kissed the girl's forehead. "And there," she added, and then kissed the tip of her nose. "And there."

Dean let out a loud breath. "The lies they tell these kids," he muttered.

Sam shrugged. "It's about as harmful as telling them about the Easter bunny," he said. Dean didn't respond, just keeping his eyes trained forward, though he did raise his hand, almost subconsciously, and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth.

Sam could see Gabriel's smirk out of the corner of his eye, and gave the angel a questioning look. Gabriel met his eye for a moment, winked, and then turned to face Dean as the hunter navigated them to the right house. Something was definitely up.

#####

"Why does the FBI still care about Lana? She died fifteen years ago. Don't you have enough on your plates with the other murders going on?" The woman asked, crossing her arms suspiciously.

"Yes, we're investigating those as well," Dean said. "We have reason to believe the killer is the same person that murdered Lana."

"But why do you need to know where she's buried?" Lana's sister was looking more uncomfortable by the minute.

"It's just routine," Sam jumped in. "We're trying to find any possible thing that could link the latest victims to Lana. Friends they knew, churches they went to, cemeteries family members were buried in."

After another half an hour, they finally coaxed the location out of the woman. "Not even in a cemetery," Dean muttered under his breath. They were sitting in a diner in town, where the waitress already knew Dean's usual order though they'd only been in town for two days. "Out by the family lake. Damn family traditions."

"We'll go out there tonight and take care of it," Sam said. He looked up when the waitress came over, eyes locked on Dean's sulking form.

"You'll have the usual, sweetie?" She asked. Dean only nodded.

"A turkey sandwich and a salad," Sam said.

"New face," the waitress commented, looking at Gabriel, who was sitting beside Sam. "What'll it be for you, hon?"

"Nothing for me," Gabriel said simply, not turning to look at her. He groaned after the waitress had walked away. "Why on earth does Castiel insist on joining you two knuckleheads on these hunts? Talk to some lady, dig up a body and burn it. Honestly, and everyone talks about the legendary Winchesters."

"The vamps were more fun, you should've been here," Dean said coldly.

"I heard the shifters were pretty fun," Gabriel said with a smirk. Sam saw Dean tense slightly, his eyes meeting Gabriel's. "Heard the after party was a blast." Dean's warning glance turned into a death glare.

"What the hell is going on?" Sam asked. "I'm missing something, so someone please fill me in."

"Gladly, kiddo," Gabriel said, turning to Sam with an almost evil smile. "See, after the—" Gabriel's voice broke off into a hiss, and he reached down towards his leg, where Sam assumed Dean had just kicked him.

"Okay, that's it," Sam said. He stood up, grabbed his brother by the arm and jerked him out of the seat. "We need to talk." Dean snatched his arm away from Sam, but led the way outside. "What's going on?" Sam asked when they were finally standing outside in the parking lot.

"Nothing is going on," Dean said. "You're being paranoid."

"No, I'm not," Sam said. "There's a reason that Gabriel came back instead of Cas, and there's a reason Gabriel seems to know how to get to you so easily, with these stupid comments that I can't begin to understand."

"Just drop it, alright?" Dean said wearily. "This has nothing to do with Gabriel."

"Then Cas?" Sam guessed. The way Dean dropped his gaze gave him a positive answer. "Did you two have a fight?"

"No. Drop it, Sam."

"What happened when you two were fighting the vamps?"

"He saved my ass as usual. Now drop it!"

"What happened after we fought the shifters?"

"You were there!"

"Apparently not for all of it."

"Nothing happened after the shifters."

"Maybe not right afterwards," Sam said. "But that day in the hotel a week later? What happened before I came up?"

"Nothing!"

"Something did, because that's when Cas took off. Did you say something to him?"

"No-not really. We were just talking."

"Did you say something to piss him off?"

"No."

"Then he said something?"

"…Nothing I didn't already know. Sam, drop it."

"Did you tell him to leave?"

"No. Sam, I mean it."

"Did you do something to make him leave?"

"Sam, if you don't shut up, I swear—"

"Did he do someth—" Sam stopped, everything clicking into place all at once. His eyes widened. What Gabriel knew that would make Dean so uncomfortable. The way Dean had been annoyed at the mother for lying t the child about her freckles. He knew. He always knew. He saw the way Cas looked at Dean, the way he protected him more than he would ever protect Sam, Bobby, even his own brothers, if it came down to it. But he never thought Cas would act on it. "Wait, did Cas really kiss you? He did, didn't he?"

######

A/N: Hey! He figured it out! I wasn't sure if he was going to. I love how these characters write themselves so well. Anyway, leave me a comment please! And I'll try to update soon!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: So, apparently a lot of people enjoyed the last chapter, which makes me very happy! :) I've gotten a bit of inspiration for the rest of the story, which will have 3-5 more chapters, I think.

In a completely unrelated note: has anyone else heard of the Supernatural: The Anime Series? I just found it, a DVD series, at Walmart and bought it. Haven't watched any yet. Told myself I'd write another chapter to post for you wonderful people before I start watching it. But I'm really excited about it! Some of the episodes are based on ones from the show, and others are unique to the anime version. Jared does the voice in the English version for Sam, but Jensen only does the voice for Dean in the last two episodes. Some Andrew guy does the voice for Dean for the other 20 episodes. Anyway, I'll let you guys know if its worth investing the money in, if anyone's interested in it. I thought it was pretty cool. OK, now enough of my rambling. Here's what you actually came to read:

#####

"Did you kill him?" Gabriel's all too happy voice snapped Sam back to the present. He didn't realize he'd walked back into the diner after Dean stormed off without giving him an answer, other than muttering something about Lana's ghost.

"No," Sam said, his voice emotionless.

"You sound regretful," Gabriel mused. "So where'd he go?"

"To take care of that haunting."

"Um, shouldn't we go help him? Isn't that what you idiots usually do on these hunts?"

Sam shook his head. "He'll just have to salt and burn the bones. The ghost is confined to the house, so she won't give him any trouble. He can handle it."

Gabriel was silent for a moment, and then let out a loud breath. "So why are you so weird? Don't tell me you're gonna go all homophobic-jackass on your own brother."

"No, no, of course not," Sam said quickly, looking up at Gabriel with wide eyes. "He just—It threw me off is all." He looked down at his hands again, his conversation with Dean running through his mind. It had surprised him. That was why he'd acted so shocked, and didn't say anything when Dean stormed off. The weird thing was, he was almost more shocked at Dean's reaction to Castiel. Dean was…angry with him. Surprised, sure. Awkward, understandable. But angry?

"Yeah, well make sure he knows that, unless you want him pissed at you too," Gabriel said. Sam turned back to Gabriel, but the angel was already gone.

#####

A week later, Dean hadn't brought up their conversation, and neither did Sam. Rides in the Impala were either filled with talk over the latest job, or loud music and awkward silence. Sam wasn't sure why it felt awkward. Possibly because he knew Dean was feeling awkward over their conversation. Gabriel's words came back to him, and he wondered if Dean thought Sam was judging him for some reason.

Sam reached forward, turning the radio off. Dean glanced sideways at him. "What's up, Sam?"

"Dean, about that conversation we had at the diner," Sam said.

"Don't, alright?" Dean said. "Just don't."

"No, listen, I need to say this."

"You don't need to say anything."

"Yes I do, so just let me." Sam saw Dean's jaw clench, but his brother didn't say anything, so he continued. "Look, I don't know why you're acting all awkward since I found out, but—"

"I'm not," Dean cut in.

"Yes, you are," Sam said. "And Dean, I don't want you to think—I mean, if there's anything—Look, I'm not gonna judge you. You're still my brother, and I—"

"If you're gonna give me that 'You're my brother and I'll love you no matter what' spiel, just save it, alright?"

"But Dean—"

"No. Look, even if there was anything going on with me and Cas, I don't need your permission."

"I know that. I just—"

"No, that's it," Dean cut in, reaching forward and turning the radio back on. "End of discussion."

"I didn't mean it to sound like that," Sam said quietly after a moment.

"I know, and I get it, Sam," Dean said, offering Sam a half-hearted smile. Sam returned the smile, and looked back at the road. He wanted to ask Why Dean was apparently so upset with Cas, but decided that would be a conversation for another day.

"So did you find another job?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Sam said, holding up the newspaper he'd gotten from a small town a few miles back. "A town a few miles from here, there were some animal attacks. Wolves, they kept saying."

"So?" Dean asked.

"Wolves aren't native to this area. Never been seen around here before."

"And tonight is the last night of the full moon cycle," Dean finished the thought for him.

#####

A/N: And there ya go! Short, I know. But the next couple scenes needed to go together, and this chapter was mostly for the brother conversation in the car. Sorry, Castiel probably won't be back in the next chapter, unless I end up writing another Heaven scene, which I don't plan to at this moment. But for all the Sabriel fans, you can look forward to the next chapter! ;)


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: And now back to Dean's POV. We haven't seen it in a while. Well, for a little while. Part of the story will switch to Sam's POV, just, you know, in the beginning he's all unconscious, which would make for a lame story from his POV. And a teensy bit in Gabriel's POV at the end. Also, thought I'd try playing around with a new monster. Descriptions and information on it were found here: .com/page/Nukelavee#fbid=hqtn-HOowXa and here ..

Now, here it is. This chapter is for all the Sabriel fans out there! ;)

#####

Dean opened his mouth, trying to force out familiar words that had become so foreign to him. He hadn't asked for Castiel's help in nearly two months. He hadn't seen Gabriel in nearly that long, either. Gabriel wouldn't help him, he was sure of that. He didn't know why Gabriel had come to them before, and certainly didn't know why he took off so quickly.

Now Sam and Dean had been on their own for a while. It had been nice. Easy. Normal. Or, as normal as fighting ghosts and demons could ever be. Until Sam was nearly killed by a Wendigo.

His little brother's blood was now staining his hands and jeans, in the middle of a forest. Without any idea where he'd parked the Impala, or where a hospital was even if he could get to the car, Dean had little choice. He glared at the bright, sunny sky.

"Castiel!" He yelled as loud as he could. "I need your help! I don't care if you're pissed at me or whatever. But I need your help! Sam needs your help!" Silence. No fluttering of wings, voice coming from right behind him in an attempt to give him a heart attack like Castiel liked to do. "Damnit, Castiel! Get your feathery ass down here and save him! Castiel! Gabriel! God," Dean didn't know if the last name was a curse or a prayer when it left his lips in a broken whisper.

"Gabriel," Dean said. He'd never been so relieved to see the smart-ass angel. But the angel didn't look at him, bent over Sam's bleeding body instead. "I think he's already," Dean's voice broke off, but he just swallowed hard and looked up at Gabriel. The angel didn't seem to concerned, placing two fingers on Sam's forehead.

Dean watched as the cuts and bruises healed themselves, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Sam," he said, almost laughing when his brother opened his eyes.

"Dean?" Sam asked, sounding disoriented.

"Welcome back, kiddo," Gabriel said.

"Gabriel? What are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"You gonna ask me that every time I show up? Maybe I'll just stop saving your ass."

"No, I'm sorry," Sam said quickly. "Thank you."

#####

"So why are you still hanging around, anyway?" Sam asked. He was sitting across the table from Gabriel in the hotel room, looking up information about some campers that had died.

"Well, apparently you two can't manage to do anything right on your own," Gabriel said.

"We managed for two months just fine," Sam said.

"Then you go and get yourself almost killed," Gabriel pointed out.

The door slammed open before Sam could respond, and Dean collapsed against the doorframe.

"Dean? Dean!" Sam rushed over, pulled his brother up by his arm and led him over to the bed. "What happened? Did you run into the Wendigo?"

Dean shook his head. "Wasn-Wasn't a Wendigo," he gasped.

"Then what was it?"

"I don't know. Shit, Sam. I've never seen anything like that. Not even in Dad's journal. God it looked like—It was huge. It didn't have skin. It was just all muscles and blood veins. It looked like a T-Rex or something, with a person riding on it's back."

"How'd you get away?" Sam asked.

"I ran through a stream," Dean said. "It wouldn't follow me. I don't think it likes water."

"I'll try and figure out what it is," Sam said, going back to his computer.

"Still don't think you need my help?" Gabriel asked. Sam didn't bother acknowledging that the angel had spoken.

#####

"Find anything yet?" Dean asked, coming back to the hotel with food fomr the diner downstairs.

"I think so," Sam said, waving for Dean to come over. "Is this what you saw?"

Dean shuddered at the sight, but nodded. "Yeah, that's it."

"It's called a Nukelavee," Sam said. "And remember how some monsters have been seen in places they aren't native to lately, ever since the Apocalypse?" Dean nodded. "Yeah, well this guy isn't any different. He's from Scottish folklore."

"Does it say how to kill it?"

"Hang on, let me see," Sam said. "It says how to get away from them. Nukelavee live in the sea, but they don't like fresh water. So crossing a stream or river will keep it from chasing you. It says the Nukelavee is a kind of fairy. Fears iron and salt, and burning kelp makes him angry."

"Well, then it's a good thing I wasn't trying to make a seaweed roast," Dean said. "So the usual deal? Salt and iron?"

"Yeah," Sam said slowly. "It seems too easy. It says that only a goddess has been able to kill one."

"Well, maybe a hunter just hasn't run into one yet," Dean said. "I haven't heard of any hunters that have faced them."

"Don't take him too lightly," Gabriel said. "Nukelavee are tough sons of bitches."

"You've faced one before?" Dean asked.

"I've seen one before," Gabriel clarified. "I wasn't stupid enough to try and kill it."

"Yeah, well I hope you've lost a few brain cells since then, cause we're going out tomorrow night."

#####

((A/N: I'm bad at writing fight scenes, so excuse me for skipping this one. I'm having writer's block on this part. If anyone would like to write a one-shot accompaniment to this fic and write the fight scene, please feel free, and I will gladly link it.))

#####

"That went better than I thought," Gabriel said brightly. Dean was currently in the diner getting them food, and Sam was lying on the bed, possibly able to move, but not really wanting to. Everything hurt.

"Says you," Sam groaned, having taken the brunt of the damage in the fight. He felt a cool touch against his forehead, then warmth through his body. The pain eased away, and when he opened his eyes, Gabriel's face was less than a foot away from his. Sam cleared his throat and tried to sit up without moving any closer to Gabriel. "Thanks."

"No problem, kiddo," Gabriel said, sitting down on the bed beside Sam.

"So hey, I was wondering something," Sam said. "Why didn't Castiel come instead of you? No offense, I guess I'm just used to Cas being the angel here to help us when we need it."

"Dean's still mad at him," Gabriel said, rolling his eyes.

"But why?" Sam asked. "What reason does he really have to be mad at Cas?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Gabriel said. "Cas just up and left. Dean didn't even have a chance to say anything to him."

"But Cas was probably just confused," Sam said. "He didn't know what Dean's reaction would be, so he was afraid to wait and find out."

"That wasn't fair to Dean, though," Gabriel said. "Not giving him a chance to react."

"Dean knows that Cas is still trying to get used to all the feelings and emotions of being around humans so much," Sam said. "He should understand why Cas left."

"So you're saying that someone should just be able to kiss someone, out of the blue, and run off, and be completely understood?" Gabriel asked. "That the person they kissed shouldn't have any reason to be upset that the person just left all of a sudden?"

"Well, I don't know if that's what I meant—"

#####

Laughter bubbled over through Gabriel's lungs as he reappeared in Heaven, under the questioning look of his brother. Okay, so really he couldn't resist. He laughed even harder when he heard Sam's yells echo through the hall. "Gabriel! Damnit, Gabriel! Get your ass back down here!"

It wasn't until Gabriel started to catch his breath, his laughter subsiding, that he realized something. Sam had kissed him back.

#####

A/N: And there it is! So there's for all the Sabriel fans! I'm pretty happy with this chapter. I personally think the ending is funny, mostly cause I love Gabriel, and he's so much fun to write. Anyway, opinions?


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Let's try this again. Power flickered a few minutes ago and deleted what I had written of this chapter. Thankfully it was only a few sentences. Anyway, thanks to everyone who left such kind feedback on the last chapter! I really appreciate it!

#####

Gabriel, still grinning, ignored his brother's shocked look. He waved a hand, muting Sam's continued streams of profanities that were echoing in the hall.

"What did you do?" Castiel asked as Gabriel took the seat beside him.

"Just took a leaf out of my little brother's book is all," Gabriel said, winking at him.

#####

Sam took a breath, figuring that Gabriel had probably stopped listening by now, if he ever even heard a single word Sam had yelled since the angel disappeared. He dropped onto the bed, head in his hands. What the hell had just happened?

"The hell were you yelling about?" Dean's voice and the slamming door made Sam jump, staring up at his brother with wide eyes.

"What?" Sam replied automatically, his brain still trying to catch up to the present.

"I could hear you from the parking lot," Dean said, then shrugged. "You sounded pretty pissed, so I waited outside 'til you were done. Didn't wanna be caught in the crossfire when you threw something at Gabriel and he disappeared… Where's that excuse of an angel, anyway?"

Sam choked out a humorless laugh, looking back down at his hands. "Guess you could say he pulled a Castiel," he muttered under his breath.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam could see Dean freeze halfway to setting the bag of take-out diner food on the desk. "He what now?" Dean asked stuttered out.

Sam raised his eyebrows at Dean, in a please-don't-make-me-answer-that kind of way, but sighed and spoke anyway. "He kissed me, then pulled the vanishing act."

#####

"Well, you can't tell him that you had to take the cat to vet," Castiel said. "That's my excuse."

Gabriel laughed, not because the joke was funny, but because his little brother was even attempting to be funny. "Don't worry. That one's all yours."

Castiel sighed. "So, should we go back now?"

"Nah," Gabriel said with a slight smirk. "I wanna let Sammy sweat it out a bit longer."

Gabriel turned to look at Castiel when he didn't respond, and saw his brother staring at his feet, his lips pulled into a tight line. "What?"

Castiel looked up at Gabriel with a shocked expression, as though he'd forgotten his elder brother was present. "I just think, maybe I've let Dean 'sweat it out,' as you put it, a bit too long."

"Can't argue with that," Gabriel said.

#####

Dean leaned against the desk and let out a long breath. Neither of the brothers spoke for a moment, and then Dean broke the silence with a laugh. Sam looked at strangely, and Dean smirked.

"I don't need to give you the you're-still-my-brother-and-I'll-love-you-no-matter-what speech, do I?" Dean asked.

Sam laughed, shaking his head. "Nah, I can do without it." Honestly, he'd been nervous about his brother's reaction, but just hearing Dean say the words in such a joking manner let him know that Dean wouldn't judge him. Ever.

"I can't believe it," Dean said with a hard laugh.

"What?"

"Seems like it always made sense, doesn't it?" Dean asked in a voice that made Sam wonder if he knew he was speaking aloud. "I mean Cas, he was always. I dunno. There. You know?"

Sam nodded. "So does that mean you're not gonna go all homophobic on him when he shows up again?" Sam asked jokingly.

Dean gave Sam a horrified look, apparently not even picking up on the joking tone. "Hell no," he said.

"So why were you so mad at him anyway?" Sam asked. "For leaving?"

Dean looked down, thinking for a moment, then shook his head. "I wasn't mad at him for leaving," he said. "I guess we were both kind of caught off guard when he kissed me. So he needed to leave. I wasn't mad at him for that. I'm mad at him for not coming back." Sam nodded silently. "What about you? You mad that Gabriel kissed or what?"

Sam shook his head. "Nope, just mad that he left."

Dean gave a humorless laugh. "These angels will be the death of us, Sammy, I swear."

A wry smile touched Sam's lips as he looked up at his brother. "We've died in worse ways."

#####

A/N: So, this chapter, as much as I started and stopped it, put it off and thought through it, only took about 20 minutes to actually write once I started it. As always, please leave comments. I think there'll only be one chapter after this, so let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: So, I'm very unhappy with the last chapter, (I think cause it's all dialogue, no emotions, no feelings, no descriptions, all written in a rush,) and am starting to write this after I've just read back through it after posting it. So yeah, hope this one turns out better. I miss writing Dean's POV, so half of this will be from his perspective. The other half…well, I dunno. We'll see. ;)

#####

"No one is to know of our absence," Castiel told the angel that would be standing guard in front of the door.

"What should I tell the angels if they wish to speak with you?" The angel asked.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. Sometimes he really hated being in charge. "Tell them we're busy," he said slowly, as though talking to a three year-old. "Just handle it, alright? We won't be gone that long. A day, maybe."

#####

"Think those cowards will ever show their faces again?" Dean asked, handing his duffel bag to Sam, who threw it over his shoulder. It had been a week since Gabriel had left, and they were leaving for their third job in the same amount of time.

Sam gave an awkward shrug, not meeting Dean's eye as he started to turn away. Dean grabbed his brother's arm and spun him back around to face him. "What's with you?"

"Nothing, I'll wait in the car," Sam said, trying to free his arm from Dean's grasp, but Dean just tightened his grip.

"Answer me," Dean said firmly.

Sam finally raised his eyes to meet Dean's, and Dean let his brother pull his arm free. "Just thinking a lot, it's really nothing."

"Sammy," Dean said, raising his eyebrows. "Don't lie to me."

A heavy sigh left Sam's lips. "Fine, I was jesthinginboudgabreel."

"I can't understand you, Sam," Dean said.

"I was just thinking about Gabriel lately is all," Sam said. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I mean yeah, you know Castiel really likes you, maybe loves you. But, I don't know. The way Gabriel kissed me. It was kind of like he was just trying to prove a point. Like it was just a joke or something."

Dean's eyebrows came together and he studied his brother's face for a moment. He was seriously concerned about this, but it seemed ridiculous. "Gabriel wouldn't—Okay, yeah, he would, actually," he said with a laugh. He cleared his throat awkwardly when he realized he wasn't helping. "I mean, he would, he's still the Trickster before he's an angel in my mind. But he wouldn't do that to _you._ Hell, he looks at you like the—" His voice broke off and he shut his eyes. "He just—Stop worrying, Sam."

"Like what?" Sam asked. "Like the way Cas always looks at you?"

Dean didn't answer, just turned his back on his brother and started going through the dresser to make sure they'd grabbed everything from the room.

"I'll wait in the car while you grab everything else," Sam called over his shoulder. A moment later, he heard the door slam shut.

Dean put his hands on the desk and leaned on them, pressing his palms into the rough wood grain. Yes, exactly like the way Cas looked at him. _Used_ to look at him. When he had been around to even look at anyone. Dean couldn't even remember the last time that was. A month? Two? Longer? Sam still had hope that Gabriel would come back. He'd only left a week ago. Besides, lately, Gabriel always came back.

_Used to think that about Cas too, _an unhelpful voice reminded him. Cas wasn't coming back, and that was just fine with him. He and Sam could go back to how they were before. Back when they didn't need angelic help. Back when a phone call to Bobby would solve all their problems. And when a phone call didn't work, salt and a good gun always did.

Dean took a breath, picked his cell phone up from the desk and turned around, immediately cursing and falling back, catching himself on the desk. "Shit, Cas! Told you not to sneak up on me like that," he said, more out of habit before his brain caught up with his mouth. "Wait, shit, Cas!"

"I am sorry, Dean," Cas said, taking a step back, apparently thinking Dean would then say something about personal space, as he usually did. Dean however, just followed him the small distance, wrapping his arms around the angel in a tight hug. He felt Cas tense, then relax slightly into the embrace, his movements still a bit stilted as he awkwardly patted Dean on the back. Dean grinned into the angel's trench coat. The reaction was just so… Cas.

#####

Gabriel didn't wait for Sam to turn around from where he was throwing a bag into the back seat of the Impala. He just loudly made his presence known. "Hey kiddo. Miss me?"

Sam whipped around, and Gabriel grinned at the look of shock on the hunter's face. He watched in amusement, as the look shifted into something that made Gabriel think that Sam was either going to hug him or hit him. The hunter finally decided on the latter, though thankfully the punch wasn't aimed for his face.

"Honestly, your greetings get worse and worse," Gabriel said, rubbing the sore spot on his arm.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"I can promise your answer is no where in that sentence." At the death glare Sam gave him, Gabriel decided jokes weren't the best idea at that moment. "I was in Heaven, obviously. What's got you so pissed? Thought you said there was no reason to be angry about that?"

"Just stop, alright?" Sam said, shaking his head and walking around to the passenger's side of the Impala. Gabriel felt something akin to his heart drop to his feet. This was not going how he'd thought it would. He'd seen Cas and Dean together, and he'd seen the way Sam looked at him—Ok, so he'd royally screwed something up.

"Sorry, alright?" Gabriel said. "Jeez, all I did was try and teach you a lesson and—"

"Thanks," Sam said, his voice no longer angry, just casual. The forced casual tone, though, scared Gabriel a bit more.

"For what?" Gabriel asked.

"Clearing that up for me," Sam said. Gabriel, still lost, didn't respond. "You taught me your lesson. Mission accomplished, now you can go and check that off your to-do list or whatever, and go back to Heaven and ignore me in peace." Sam looked away form him and started to open the door to the Impala.

Gabriel's mind clicked at that moment, and he disappeared, reappearing directly next to Sam and slamming the door back. "That's what this is about?" He asked, rather exasperated with dealing with humans already. "That's why you're throwing your little temper tantrum? Because you think my only motivation in all of this was to teach you a damn lesson?"

Sam opened his mouth to say something, but Gabriel didn't particularly care what half-assed attempt at a comeback Sam had. He just curled a hand roughly in Sam's hair and pulled him forward into a deep kiss. He heard a sound of surprise come from Sam, which soon turned into a soft moan when Gabriel moved his tongue along to seam of the hunter's lips. Gabriel felt a hand clutching at the front of his shirt, and let Sam push him roughly against the Impala, pressing his body tight against Gabriel's. Gabriel smiled into the kiss, gladly sitting back and letting Sam take control.

#####

"Where have you been all this time?" Dean asked when he finally pulled back from Cas, though didn't move to step any further away than enough to look Cas in the eye.

"I had to take the cat to the vet," Cas said as though it were obvious.

Dean paused, looking at Cas strangely. "Cas, man, you don't have a cat," he said carefully, as though he were breaking the news to a child that a snake ate their pet rat.

"I know," Castiel said, his tone never changing. His eyes shifted to the side, then back to Dean. "Gabriel told me to say that."

Dean was silent for a moment, and then doubled over laughing. He laughed until tears started forming in his eyes, then finally managed to catch his breath, though he was still grinning when he looked back at Cas, who didn't seem to have moved a muscle, other than to tilt his head slightly in confusion at Dean. "And why would Gabriel tell you to say that?"

"I do not know, Castiel said. "He believed it to be a good enough reason, I suppose." Castiel paused and looked down, before meeting Dean's eyes again, looking slightly ashamed. "I was afraid of your reaction. And Gabriel said you were upset with me. Whether for kissing you or leaving, I was unaware."

"Cas," Dean said, a smile curling up one side of his mouth. "I wasn't mad at you for kissing me _or_ leaving."

Cas tilted his head in confusion again. "Then why were you so upset?"

"Because you didn't come back, you son of a bitch." Only taking a moment to register the look of surprise on Castiel's face, Dean grabbed the lapels of the angel's trench coat and pulled him forward, pressing their lips soundly together. Apparently still unsure of what to do with his hands when in such close contact, Cas brought a shaking hand to rest tentatively on Dean's shoulder. Dean smiled slightly and wrapped a hand around Cas's neck, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. Cas relaxed against him, and opened his mouth to Dean. Then he did something with his tongue and—Dean heard a soft humming sound that he would never admit came from him.

#####

Gabriel wasn't sure how it worked. Sam was a hunter, and demon-blood addict, not to mention the vessel of the devil himself. And Gabriel was an Archangel turned Trickster turned Archangel turned God.

But somehow, they just fit…

#####

With Cas against him, and all the truth that he'd been completely oblivious to now laid out in front of him, suddenly it hit Dean. Every moment, every accident, every hunt, every death, every broken heart and every chance he'd missed.

It all fell into place…

#####

Like puzzle pieces.

#####

A/N: So there you have it! Finally finished! PLEASE review. I'd love to know what you wonderful readers think. I'd love to write a sequel, but I don't know what it would be about as of yet, so feel free to give me suggestions!


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